...Man, I thought LP12 owners were arrogant and condescending back in the 80's. But they did have arguably one of the finest tables being produced. The Technics 1200 fan club is just as bad, maybe even worse....I am getting to the point where I don't want to be associated with Technics owners at all. Course this is just the opinion of a simple barnyard animal....
John, with utmost respect, there was equal bias from both camps here.
Re: Linn
No surprise really. So, what are you running for arm + cart? Your original post says Sumiko, but your tag line says Akito + 2M Black.
jeff
it seems to me that you reached the same conclusion that a lot of people did when the Linn came out in the 1970's.
RE: Technics
I'm surprised - I'm sure there was something holding the M5G back.
I do agree with you sometimes the different camps can get very militant, but this has remained pretty civil, in my opinion. And both camps are equally valid here, as well as staunch supporters of whichever brand they favor.
I do stand strongly by my posts here-
Congrats!
It's a shame you can't keep both. I know I couldn't part with either if they were mine.
If you can get that Linn dialed in, I feel it's going to be a better sounding table than your stock M5G. The M5G would need modding to compete.
and
I'd invest in modding the knickers off the Technics- bearing, PSU, Isnoe footers, copper platter mat, etc.
Hunt down an SME IV or V as well.
Why?
I like the way the 1200 operates. I love the VTA on the fly, the instant start, and immediate stop of the platter, the que light that pops up, the resilience to foot-fall, instantaneous 33/45 switching.
That said, a Linn is perhaps the nicest of the 3-point suspension design. And some argue the magic is especially in the fine tonearm design.
Would you mind the extra effort and time in setting up the Linn, and subsequent maintenance?
Are your floors impervious to foot-falls?
The Linn can reward you with glorious sound but it is, compared to the Technics, high maintenance.
I still think in stock form, the Linn is the better table in regards to sound.
In the same breath, I can also support the folk who opt to hot-rod the Technics SL-1200MK2, or in my case, the SP25, and get incredibly impressive performance.
In reality, you end up spending equal amounts of cash on either the stock or mildly modified Linn, and quite modified Technics. Each deck has the potential of reaching lofty goals- the Linn is closer to this goal from the get-go in stock form,, but does require more fine tuning and general maintenance and fuss- the Technics is good from the start, but heavy massaging the stocker is needed to bring out it's potential. The end result can be a great table that also offers low maintenance and fuss.
The same thing applies to the other fanboy table- the Rega.
And again, the Regas offer something special-from an impressive stock P5 or P7 or P9, to the basic p2 and 3 and RB-250 and RB-300 that respond fantastically to heavy mods. I'd be a liar if I said I didn't find the Origin Live arms to be lusty, beautiful beasts.
The thing is, all three table manufacturers- Technics, Rega, Linn- and legions of others, from Systemdek, Ariston, Thorens, vintage Sony, Yamaha, JVC, and Sota, ClearAudio, VPI- all are capable of impressive performance, and careful selection of the model, research into any achilles heels, the severity of these, and how to address them properly will yield positive results.
What gets me down? Any vehement fanaticism ANY brand carries, and any negative attitudes this carries with it, and slander towards other brands.
This carries over into the whole east coast-west coast speaker argument, tube vs. solid state, belt vs direct drive, MM vs MC vs MI, unipivot vs knife edge vs traditional bearing, cd vs lp, and so on.
This always leaves me baffled and dumbfounded, as I can say, with honesty, I've heard good, even great examples from almost every camp.
It also echoes arguments about Red sox vs yankees, Kansas City vs Memphis vs carolina vs Texas BBQ, Chevy vs Ford vs Mopar.
I've never turned down good BBQ, despite whatever region it's come from and in my teenage years, I've owned Chevy, Ford and Mopar musclecars and loved every tire smokin', street racin', drive-in-back-seat-action moment of all three.
With the above stated, I mean no disrespect to any poster quoted- I see,hear, and understand your positions, and comprehend them fully.
and once again for the record, I am not surprised the Linn edged out a stock M5g- I think highly of the M5G, but feel modification is needed to really make the table reach lofty potential.
And also for the record, I am pleased as punch that Anthony has found nirvana with the Linn- a fantastic table and great arm.
I am still pleased I opted for my needs the modified Technics SP25 equipped with EPA 100 and 250 arms and embrace both the sound and general aesthetics and ease of use, and I don't second guess my investment (substantial) or choice (wise, in regards to my needs and end result/product).
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